MOBILE, Ala. - University of South Alabama women’s head soccer coach Mike Varga announced the addition of three more players for the 2006 season on Tuesday. Rebecca Falgout, Whitney Shelton and Amanda Olivas have decided to come to South Alabama. This year's recruiting class is now up to seven players for the fall.
Rebecca Falgout is a defender from Ocean Springs, Miss., where she is in her fourth year at Ocean Springs High School. Falgout was Rookie of the Year during her freshman campaign and was Offensive MVP her sophomore season and made the all-district team. During her junior campaign, she was tabbed the Defensive MVP and also earned all-district honors and the awards for her senior year have not been released yet. Falgout played for the Gulf Coast United club team and also played one year for the Mississippi Olympic Development Team (ODP.)
"Rebecca is a very knowledgeable player with an uncanny ability to strike the ball," Varga said. "She also is an aggressive ball winner and will provide a physical presence for us...she will be competing for playing time in the back and also will be very dangerous on set pieces."
Amanda Olivas is a forward/midfield player from Fort Walton Beach, Fla.. She attends Choctawhatchee High School where she has earned numerous honors and awards. Olivas has scored 54 goals in her high school career and has earned all-county honors in each of her four years in high school. She most recently played for Uwe Spiller on the Lady Kicks 87's club team and was a member of the Vestavia Hills Attack 87's.
"Amanda has the ability to play a lot of different attacking positions for us," Varga said. "She is creative on the ball and also has the ability to put the ball in the net. I am anxious to see where she fits best within our style of play and I am certain that Amanda will have a good career here at South Alabama."
Whitney Shelton, a native of Silver Creek, Ga., attends Rome High School where she has been a scholar athlete for three years in a row, won the Golden Boot Award with the Rome Arsenal and was honorable mention all-area. Shelton scored 43 goals and 42 assists in her high school career. She also played club soccer for the Atlanta Silverbacks in Kennesaw, Ga.
"Whitney is the definition of a goal scorer," Varga said. "I anticipate Whitney playing up front for us and causing a lot of problems for opposing teams...Whitney's speed and athletic ability, combined with her technical ability, will give us a new dimension in our attack for 2006 and years to come."
With the addition of Falgout, Olivas and Shelton, Varga's recruiting class stands at seven for the 2006 season.
"I look forward to coaching the class of 2006 as this is a very exciting time for USA soccer," Varga added.
